Pinsk is one of the most beautiful and oldest towns in Belarus. For the first time it was mentioned in "The Story of time years" in 1097. Up to the middle of the XII century Pinsk had been part of the Tourov Principality and the second most important town in it. From the second half of the XII century Pinsk had been the centre of the Pinsk Principality. From the beginning of the XIV century Pinsk had been part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1581 the town had obtained the Magdeburg right which was repeatedly reconfirmed, and its own coat of arms.

The architectural outlook of the town has been forming from the XVI century. At that time Pinsk was one of the most attractive towns in Europe. In 1783, at the time of the reunification with Russia, Pinsk became part of the Minsk province. In the middle of the XIX century Pinsk was one of the main trade towns in Belarus. From 1921 it had been part of Poland. From November 1939 it had been part of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic. From December, 4 1939 Pinsk had been the centre of the Pinsk oblast and from January 15, 1940 it has been the centre of the Pinsk district.

Today Pinsk is an administrative centre, the town subordinated to oblast authorities. The population of Pinsk is 130 thousand people. There work such enterprises as "The Pinema" (Pinsk non-woven materials), "The Pinsk plant of artificial leather" leasehold enterprise. "The Pinsk plant of small mechanization" OJSC, "The Polesye" shareholding production technical amalgamation and "The Pinskdrev" Closed Joint Stock Company which is the largest woodworking enterprise in the Republic of Belarus.

Pinsk has preserved some old architectural monuments. Among them are collegiums, a Franciscan church, a building of the former Franciscan monastery, the Varvarinskaya church and a building of the former Catholic church of Carl Baromej.

Guide to towns and district centers of Republic of Belarus. A.V. Varivonchik [etc.]